Article: I have spent the last...

I have spent the last ten years as the creator of the comic strip Mutts, which runs daily in 600 newspapers worldwide . Mutts is centered on the unlikely friendship of Earl, the dog, and Mooch the cat. It’s about the simple joy of being in the moment, and sharing our planet with all creatures. I’ve been living with these characters for a long time, and telling stories with words and pictures even longer.

The Gift of Nothing is my first picture book, and it (of course) features Earl and Mooch. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing. I wanted the book to feel just right, intimate in size and with a classic look, one of those books that you can cuddle up to with a kid or kitty - or both - on your lap. In the story, Mooch ponders the age old question, "What do you get someone who has everything?" It’s about giving, sharing, purring, and love.

Mooch says he likes being the star character in a book. (Yesh!) He thinks you need at least this many pages to do a cat like him justice. Earl says that the book smells really good and the story is definitely something he would chew on later.

Copyright © 2005 Patrick McDonnell